“What? Really? How did you know that?”

Vivian paused just long enough to give Kala an incredulous glare. “I’m ex-military. I never stay in a building if I don’t know the exits, defences, and emergency plans. Come on; we need to hurry.”

“Okay, but the announcement box—”

Vivian’s grip was too strong to fight as she dragged Kala around a corner and down the hallway leading to the military sector. “Stop being stupid. You won’t be able to help anyone if you get killed halfway across the station.”

It took Kala a second to latch onto the logic, but then she broke into a jog, following Vivian into the metal-lined passageways. Vivian stopped abruptly, and Kala nearly ran into her back. A body in the middle of the hallway blocked their path. Kala recognised Denise, one of the senior researchers. Her bushy hair was thrown out in a halo around her head, and her open eyes stared sightlessly at the ceiling. Vivian swore under her breath and pointed her gun at the prone woman.

“What are you doing?” Kala hissed, snatching the tip of the gun and pushing it down to face the ground.

“She’s changing,” Vivian said simply. Her face had taken on a pale-grey tinge, but her eyes were hard. “I saw it in the rec room. The creatures can do one of two things to you: they can kill you, or they can take over your body. Trust me on this—the first option is the far greater mercy.”

Denise’s fingers were twitching. Kala thought of the amettal and the way it had twitched in the glass bowl before leaping to its feet like nothing had happened. She realised she did not, under any circumstance, want to see Denise get up again. Kala let go of Vivian’s gun, feeling sick.

“It’s the kindest thing I can do for her,” Vivian said, her voice unusually soft. “Look away if it upsets you.”

Kala turned to face the wall and squeezed her eyes shut as Vivian opened fire. The loud snapping sounds seemed to go on forever, and when the noise died off, Kala opened her eyes again. The hallway was filled with dust from the chipped concrete floor.

“Better safe than sorry.” Vivian pulled Kala past Denise’s now-still remains.

“They can’t take over dead things,” Kala said, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

“That’s the logic I’m working off.” Vivian led her around another corner at a fast jog. “They can infect you while you’re alive, but a corpse is no good to them.”

The door leading into the weapons room was hanging open. Kala and Vivian entered cautiously, but it was empty. Most of the guns had been taken, but the more unique weapons—grenades, knives, and the flamethrowers—were still on their racks.

“Good,” Vivian said, a hiss of triumph in her voice as she dropped her gun and began gathering the half-dozen flamethrowers. “Carry these, Holcroft, and grab some grenades, as well.”

“We’re not going to leave some here?”